LOS ANGELES, CA – May 31, 2012 — Fans in Canada and select cities in the northern part of the U.S. will finally have a chance to see what reviewers have called “The Best Metal Tour of the Year,” when co-headliners Anthrax and Testament, joined by Death Angel, kick off a late-summer trek on September 14. Starting in Portland, OR, the bands will work their way north, cross into Canada, and play all of the major Canadian cities before wrapping up in Montclair, NJ on October 5. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 1. For more information and to purchase tickets, log onto http://anthrax.com – http.//www.testamentlegions.com or http://deathangel.us

This run will be the third leg of the Anthrax/Testament/Death Angel hat-trick; the three bands packed five weeks worth of venues coast-to-coast last Fall, marking the first time Anthrax and Testament had shared a stage in more than a decade; again, earlier this year, the line-up played another dozen dates to headbangers in cities from Las Vegas to New York.

According to Anthrax’s guitarist Scott Ian, “We played to sold-out shows, raging crowds and EPIC war dances, and we can’t wait to do it again, especially for our Canadian fans who have been waiting a long to time ‘worship music’ with us.”

“There have been very few three band bills in which the acts are so compatible and the shows so consistent that a second leg of the tour is a “no-brainer,” said Testament’s lead guitarist Alex Skolnick. “But in the case of Anthrax, Testament and Death Angel, that’s been the case. Things have gone so well, in fact, that it’s made sense to add a third leg with this exact same line up. All three bands are excited to take this show into new territory with a trek across Canada, and a few spots in the US we missed last time around. And this time, Testament will be armed with a brand new album with music that we’re eager to share with everyone. Hope to see you out there!”

“We’ve been tight with the guys in Testament for a long, long time, and had a great time touring with them before,” added Anthrax’s drummer Charlie Benante. “And all of us in Anthrax are big Death Angel fans, so this is going to be a monster of a great time, for us and for the fans.”

Said Testament’s frontman Chuck Billy, “It’s good to see that metal is alive in 2012 and the fans want a third leg of the Anthrax, Testament, Death Angel tour. Don’t fucking miss it! Metal Forever!”

With more dates to be confirmed, the Anthrax/Testament/Death Angel tour are as follows:

ABOUT ANTHRAX:
For Anthrax – Scott Ian/guitar, Charlie Benante/drums, Rob Caggiano/guitar, Joey Belladonna/vocals, and Frank Bello/bass – this run of dates will follow the band’s summer-long slot on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival where they will headline the tour’s Jagermeister Stage, playing a special “bare bones, guerrilla” performance. The Mayhem tour, as well as these dates with Testament, are in support of Worship Music, Anthrax’s first new album in eight years, and the first with Belladonna on vocals in twenty years. The album debuted at #12 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart, has received stellar reviews and been called “the metal album of the year” by numerous critics and music tastemakers, including VH-1/That Metal Show’s Eddie Trunk, and Alexander Milas, editor of the UK’s Metal Hammer. Worship Music also landed on copious amounts of “year-end-bests” lists, and the editors of Loudwire named it their #1 Metal Album of the Year, with the track “The Devil You Know” claiming the #1 Metal Song of the Year honors.

The return of Belladonna and Anthrax’s remarkable renewal began in 2009 in a Cleveland hotel bar with Anthrax’s Benante and Ian, and Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, when he first brought up the idea of The Big Four – Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, the four bands that served as the original architects for the “thrash/speed-metal” scene,” yet had never shared the same stage before. The first of (so far) fourteen Big Four events took place on June 16, 2010, culminating in what was Anthrax’s New York homecoming concert – The Big Four at Yankee Stadium on September 14, 2011, the day after Worship Music hit stores. “We came into The Big Four as the underdog,” said Benante. “We were the band that had the most to prove, and we’ve worked really, really hard to do that.”

Anthrax’s worldwide sales have exceeded 10-million and the band has received multiple Gold and Platinum albums, numerous Grammy nominations, and a host of other accolades from the press, industry and fans.

ABOUT TESTAMENT:
Few bands have the capability to survive lineup changes, health crises and over 25 years of recording and touring, only to come out the other side primed to impress once again. Legendary Bay Area thrashers TESTAMENT are one of the few living legends of the thrash metal scene who are able to evoke the same strong emotions as they did in the 80s and who truly grow with each album without abandoning the substance and integrity they are known for. With their upcoming effort, Dark Roots Of Earth, they have proven once again that there is no stopping their relentless talent!

TESTAMENT will start work on a brand new music video promoting their upcoming record Dark Roots of Earth before a European and U.K. festival run. Soon after, they will return to the U.S.A. for a third leg of the ANTHRAX/TESTAMENT tour.

TESTAMENT return with their highly anticipated follow-up album in the form of Dark Roots of Earth on July 27, 2012 (Europe) and July 31, 2012 (North America). The record will also be released in a special edition format which will include a DVD and bonus tracks. Produced, mixed and mastered once again by the world renowned Andy Sneap (ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE, ACCEPT, EXODUS), along with bonus tracks recorded, mixed and mastered by Juan Urteaga (MACHINE HEAD, CATTLE DECAPITATION, HEATHEN, VILE,SADUS), expect the bar by which we judge all things thrash to be raised!

ABOUT DEATH ANGEL:
Bay Area thrash legends DEATH ANGEL will be touring in support of their latest release Relentless Retribution, which recently landed at position No. 10 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, making it their highest charting record since the band’s reformation in 2004. Relentless Retribution was recorded at Audio Hammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with production genius Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, AUGUST BURNS RED, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, ALL THAT REMAINS, WHITE CHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER). The savage cover art was handled this time by Brent Elliot White (JOB FOR A COWBOY,CARNIFEX, WHITECHAPEL).

Not every band can live up to a legacy but every once in a while a group exceeds expectations by pushing boundaries in a genre they’ve helped create, but DEATH ANGEL is one such band. In 1986, a DEATH ANGEL demo produced by Kirk Hammett (Metallica) titled “Kill As One” sparked the interest of Enigma Records. The band was soon signed and the band’s debut, The Ultra Violence, was released in 1987. The album was a full-frontal assault on the ears, buzzing with the group’s youthful energy, and The Ultra Violence sold 40,000 copies in just four months. Another innovative recording, Frolic Through the Park, followed, marking DEATH ANGEL’s evolution both lyrically and musically. “Bored,” another track from the band’s second release, highlighted the cutting-edge band’s inventive dynamics, and won a spot on MTV’s “Headbanger’s Ball.”

Geffen Records was impressed enough with DEATH ANGEL’s television premier to offer the band a deal, and DEATH ANGEL became the first band of their breed to appear on the major label’s roster. At Geffen, the band released what is widely regarded as one of the most original and accomplished thrash metal albums ever recorded, Act III. The record pushed the limits of the genre to create something truly unique, a definitive work that is essential to any metal fan’s music collection. Death Angel’s masterful songwriting ability was once again on display nationwide in 1990, as the videos for “Seemingly Endless Time” and “Room With a View” saw heavy rotation on MTV.

DEATH ANGEL’s trajectory to fame was tragically cut short in 1990, when the band’s tour bus crashed in the Arizona desert. Original drummer Andy Galeon was critically injured, and would need more than a year to recover. During this downtime, vocalist Mark Osegueda left the band and moved to New York to pursue a life outside of music. The remaining members went on to form The Organization, and released two full-length albums under that name.

The Organization disbanded in 1995 and the members split up into various projects. DEATH ANGEL wouldn’t resurface again until 2001 to perform at a cancer benefit for frontman Chuck Billy (Testament) called “Thrash of the Titans.” The response was so great that many offers came quickly in 2002, beginning with a “secret” gig in San Francisco, and sold it out under the psuedo name, “Kill As One.”

The next year saw DEATH ANGEL supporting Metallica at the Fillmore in San Francisco as well as supporting Anthrax and Halford in the US. What began as a gathering of positive vibes for a friend turned into a full time mission to continue a journey that began so long ago. In 2004 DEATH ANGEL released their long awaited fourth studio disc, The Art of Dying; on Nuclear Blast. Since then the band has released two more records and has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, with those releases and their live show, that thrash is alive and well and that DEATH ANGEL is here to stay!

Don’t miss your VIP opportunity to MEET THE BAND when you purchase the TESTAMENT MEET & GREET PACKAGE!

Bay Area thrash kings TESTAMENT are pleased to announce that they will again be offering special VIP/Meet & Greet Packs on their upcoming co-headlining tour with Anthrax with support from Death Angel. This is your chance to spend intimate, quality time with TESTAMENT– up close and personal! TESTAMENT offered these packs on last year’s monumental American Carnage Tour also featuring Megadeth and Slayer, which presented fans with a unique and exclusive chance to spend time with the band before doors opened, take photos and get autographs, throw up the horns, and chat. This year with the VIP/Meet & Greet Packs, fans will have another chance to hang out, sign autographs and take photos with the band, as well as have access to a ticket to their performance, special merchandise hand-picked by the band, and a collectible TESTAMENT laminate to commemorate this ultimate fan experience!

Testament Meet & Greet Package Includes (Full Details):

– One General Admission ticket
– Meet & Greet with select members of Testament
– Photo with select members of Testament
– Autograph opportunity with select members of Testament
– Testament merchandise items*
– T-shirt of your choice from the merch booth (before doors open)
– Opportunity to purchase a second item at half off from the merch booth (before doors open)
– Assorted guitar picks
– Cool merch item
– Rare, out of print “Live At The Filmore” cassette
– Original printing of “Demonic” CD
– Collectible Testament laminate

For more information on how to obtain your special VIP/Meet & Greet Pack, head over to www.slotix.com now!

“We love connecting with our fans and showing them same the respect and admiration they show us year after year,” states vocalist Chuck Billy. “Hanging out and talking to the fans was a phenomenal experience for everyone last year. It was a first for us as well as the fans. It’s a great way to join us at the shows in celebration of all that is heavy metal and to make a personal connection with us, so come hang out and commemorate this great tour!”

NOTE: Testament VIP Package purchase deadlines have been extended. The cut off was changed from 14 days to 8 days prior to ‘show date’ – Please check back with your ticket outlet in a day or so. [Updated: Oct. 3rd, 2011]